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Stockton down two men tonight.

The Stockton Thunder will take the ice without two of their better players in Game 6 at Citizens Business Bank Arena tonight.
From the Stockton Record web site:

Stockton will try to clinch its first-round playoff series without two-thirds of its on-ice leadership team.

Captain Matt O’Dette and alternate captain Mike Lalonde both suffered injuries in Sunday’s Game 5 victory over Ontario in the first-round ECHL playoff series. Neither will be on the active roster when the Thunder visits the Reign and 7 p.m. today at Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario. The Thunder leads the series 3-2.

Stockton coach Matt Thomas would not go into details about the injuries other than to say that O’Dette, a defenseman, suffered a lower body injury with about six minutes left in the third period. Lalonde, a forward, left the ice in the first period with a upper body ailment. Both are on the three-day injury reserve and would be out if there is a Game 7 on Wednesday.

“It hurts when you lose two veteran players like that. They really help us,” Thomas said. “But this just means other people have to step in.”

The Thunder has players available at both positions. Sebastien Bisaillon and Tyler Kindle are the defenseman and Adam Huxley and Brandon Naurato are the forwards who could be added to the active roster.

About J.P. Hoornstra

J.P. Hoornstra covers the Dodgers, Angels and Major League Baseball for the Los Angeles Daily News, Long Beach Press-Telegram, Torrance Daily Breeze, San Gabriel Valley Tribune, Pasadena Star-News, San Bernardino Sun, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, Whittier Daily News and Redlands Daily Facts. Before taking the beat in 2012, J.P. covered the NHL for four years. UCLA gave him a degree once upon a time; when he graduated on schedule, he missed getting Arnold Schwarzenegger's autograph on his diploma by five months.